Birds

Lucky fella. We are at the edge of town, but rarely, much more than the usual, Sparrows, Blue Tits,Blackbirds,Starlings, Wood Pigeons, Robins and now bloody Seagulls. We did get a Thrush seemed a bit larger than most , quite chubby with what seemed a whiter front usual type spots though.

We have had brief visits by Chaffinches, once a Bullfinch, a Kestrel type bird.
Whilst driving in the rural areas around the town, the odd Owl, Hawk are spotted , Jays are also quite prevalent too, they make a welcome splash of colour.

We've also had a very perky Fieldfare or two these last few weeks, first time we have seen them at home. Cold weather I assume.

Apart from the really common things we have frequent Siskins and a pair of Long-Tailed Tits on the feeders. We see Kingfishers fairly often from the house or close by, Herons, a pair of Tawny owls, a Sparrowhawk (who gets extremely close sometmes) and a very persistent Greater Spotted Woodpecker. We have a nesting pair of Coots too. Kestrels and Buzzards are frequently seen but we do also get the occasional Hobby in an adjacent field. We have seen Little and Barn Owls maybe once or twice a year-although the Barn Owl nests close by I understand. Our favourite local birds are the Curlews, the first call each Spring as they arrive is a really uplifting day!

I suspect we have other more exciting little birds but I don't really know enough to identify them.

Bruce

I've noticed quite a few birds recently in our Sussex front garden but I would not have a clue about what they are.

In our last house down under we were surrounded by massive gum trees and fauna. The birds there were more noisy and much more colourful. These fellas were always around the garden - the Lorikeet.

and there was this little fella who was a regular visitor at one of the nearby restaurants - Cookooburra.

The usual winter birds were in my northern New Jersey (US) yard this week:

White-breasted Nuthatch
Dark-eyed Junco
Tufted Titmouse
Downy Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
House Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Blue Jay

Keeping two feeders stocked all winter keeps them coming back daily.

Also, I was watching a Pileated Woodpecker at about 10 meters in the woods nearby last week. Quite a sight as they are rather large birds.

Mark

I actually shot this last year, but a big bunch of these guys hang out in Squamish every year over winter, eating salmon. It is about an hour up the road from where I live. Quite a few of them around Vancouver itself as well.

Great shot.

Hi,

2010 garden list includes:

Nuthatch
Tree creeper
Twite for one day
Arctic Redpoll for two days
Redwing
Goldfinch
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Bullfinch
Willow/Marsh tit, can never tell difference!

Strangely no Brambling this year.

Chaps

I have a bloody heron that keeps flying into my garden eyeing up my pond.

I would dearly love to blast it with a 12 bore.

Most birds are nice, herons are plain bloody horrid.

Regards

Mick

munch

I have a fibre glass one and on two occassions the live heron was actually canoodling with it.

Regards

Mick

What's not to like about Herons?

winky, betcha don't like herons as much as herons like Koi carp.
My neighbour found a dead heron by his pond that had choked on an 8 inch koi.
Also he tried the plastic heron, didn't work. He is now testing an owl, problem seems to be all birds are scared off - except herons

quote:

Originally posted by Spike:
Hi,

2010 garden list includes:

Nuthatch
Tree creeper
Twite for one day
Arctic Redpoll for two days
Redwing
Goldfinch
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Bullfinch
Willow/Marsh tit, can never tell difference!

Strangely no Brambling this year.

To distinguish between Willow and Marsh tit is not easy, mostly the light is too bad or the bird too fast to see the subtle difference in plumage. Listen to their calls, Marsh is an explosive "peechew", Willow sounds like "(zee-zee)-daaay-daaay".

Manfred

P.S.: A few winters ago, I was happy to see a group of waxwings in a tree 100m from my home.

Funny, I was just thinking about this...

So central London and we've had.

Pair of magpies
Misc starlings and blackbirds
Robins
A lone wren
A smattering of finches - not sure which ones they are!

Jay

Hi Manfred,

I know the differences but can never tell in the garden!!!!!

I use to ring and even with them in your hand it's not east to tell them apart. A fellow ringer insisted that he was told one had longer primaries. They are super little birds.

quote:

Originally posted by Spike:
Hi Manfred,

I know the differences but can never tell in the garden!!!!!

I use to ring and even with them in your hand it's not east to tell them apart. A fellow ringer insisted that he was told one had longer primaries. They are super little birds.

Hi Spike,

you are right.

It is difficult to distinguish some species. Marsh/Willow Tit, Arctic/Common Tern, Willow Warbler/ Chiffchaff and Eurasian/Short-Toed Treecreeper are good examples for that.

But I like these little challenges , they make birding far more exciting.

Best wishes

Manfred

Two Cormorants by the River today.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike-B:
winky, betcha don't like herons as much as herons like Koi carp.
My neighbour found a dead heron by his pond that had choked on an 8 inch koi.
Also he tried the plastic heron, didn't work. He is now testing an owl, problem seems to be all birds are scared off - except herons

Oh, I see.

Spike!

I use to ring birds with Chris Mead, Steve Browne, Steve Moores, Jez Blackburn and Graham Austen amongst others in Norfolk. Wonderful times indeed. Since moving to Surrey I have only ringed a couple of Barn Owl chicks. You are right about separating Marsh and Willow Tit. It is difficult even when handling them.

To date garden visitors include 3 Siskin, Pair of Fieldfare, several Redwing, Song Thrush, Tawny Owl, Male Bullfinch, Longtailed, Blue and Great Tit, Greater Spotted and Green Woodpecker, Dunnock, House Sparrows, Blackbird, Ring Necked Parakeet, resident Robin, Magpie, Jackdaw, Sparrowhawk, Collared Dove, Starling and 5 Blackrock Chickens.

Steve2

Red-tailed Hawk captured by my friend Alon. A great match of tones between the bird and its surrounding. The only question is what is sharper, the talons or the beak?

quote:

Originally posted by Mick Parry:
munch

I have a fibre glass one and on two occassions the live heron was actually canoodling with it.

Regards

Mick

Plastic Herons unfortunately don't work during the breeding season! ("How was it for you darling? It's just you didn't say anything...")

Herons are very persistent. Once they realise you've got a pond with fish in it they'll keep coming down, usually at first light, until they've cleared you out.

A few years ago I contacted Stapeley Water Gardens in Cheshire over a Heron problem. I was put through to a very intense young chap who asked me what I required & I explained I envisaged some sort of tripwire that, when the Heron walked into it, blew its head off with a 12-bore shotgun. Unfortunately he didn't see the joke and proceeded to lecture me about how Herons were protected species and I would be prosecuted, probably tortured and eviscerated, if I harmed a feather of a Heron's head.(The local farmer quite happily blows them away)

He did eventually come up with a solution that works perfectly. It comprises of a number of thin wires in two different lengths with loops set at various spacings which you set into the ground round the pond and then thread fishing line through the loops, creating four rings at differing heights and circumferences around the pond.

This works because Herons are unable to land on water and need to wade into the pond after landing on the side. They can't get past the lines and so give up after a while. The only thing you've got to be careful of is ensuring you don't have lots of lilly pads because they will land on those.

I take the wires up in the autumn & put over a net to stop leaves getting in the pond so I can't take a photo of the arrangement unfortunately.

Typical winter birds at my place - suburban estate with rural environment - are:

Common:

Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Robin, Dunnock, Wren, Starling, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Ring-necked Parakeet, Black-headed Gull, Wood Pidgeon, Collared Dove, Common Buzzard

Occuring only occasionally:

Fieldfare, Redwing ( more during autumn ), Short-toed Treecreeper, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Yellowhammer, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Hawfinch, Jackdaw, Rook, Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Goshawk, Grey Heron, Cormorant, Egyptian Goose

Despite the snow the first sign of the coming spring was a Song Thrush a few days ago.



Kind regards

Manfred

Hope someone can help me with this.
I am aware of a (murder) of crows ganging up on a single crow and killing it. I was led to believe that this happened to an 'outsider' or to a weak/injured crow and I have witnessed this phenomenon previously. However yesterday whilst walking my dog I came across a scene that was slightly different.
As I approached the (murder) crows, there appeared to be three seperate 'battles' going on simultaniously with the constant encouragement from the onlooking , and sometimes joining in, other crows. So intent was the bloodfest that I was able to walk up to and stand over the fighting birds (sans dog)!
At one point one winning crow flew off allowing the badly beaten crow to take flight, only for the poor bird to be taken out of the sky by other waiting birds!
This was truly a horrible sight to behold , but that is the name of the game in the wild and I for one was not going to interfere unduly.
Has anyone any knowledge or information of these multiple battles taking place. I cannot find any information of anything other that single birds being pecked by the group and that is the only thing I have witnessed in the past.
This in total, with onlooking birds was a murder of approx 15-20 crows with 3 victims and 6 or 7 perpitrators.
Anyone witnessed or have further knowledge of this phenomena?
thanks
Charlie

That is an amazing tale, quite a sight, I would imagine. Like you I heard of many on a singleton, but not this.

Perhaps they were Leeds or Cardiff supporters?

Are you sure they were crows ?? Only a question, a crow is an all blackbird with a black slightly down turned beak, a rook is a similar sized black bird with a straight grey/yellow beak. Crows tend to live in small groups & are very pair orientated, although they do form flocks, they do not have the strong flock life style of rooks.

I have seen this a number of times with rooks. Locally we call it a rook parliament, the flocks have a form of hierarchy that plays out this "murder", sometimes they just drive the offending birds out of the flock & it doesn't resort to killing.
It seems sick or ostracised birds are the victims. Its all a bit of a mystery, might do some research between other projects.